Lucy finished drying herself off and wondered what to do with the towel. She thought about keeping the towel, it was quite possibly the nicest towel she's ever had the pleasure of using. She turned over the soggy white cloth in her hands and read the words "Property of Royal Woods Country Club" embroidered in gold thread on the side.
"Lincoln, is this your towel?" Lucy asked as she crept up on her brother as he stood at the end of the hallway, he was preoccupied himself by staring up at the ceiling while he donned a sash labeled HALL MONITOR he retrieved from his pocket, "How did you get it?"
"Were those there this morning?" Lincoln pointed up at a small security camera enclosed in a reflective green iridescent dome, Lucy looked up at the dome and waved.
"Answer my question."
Lincoln stood still for a moment, his hand still up in the air. He hasn't had the pleasure of talking to his little sister as much recently, the both of them were out and about all summer long with various endeavors and escapades. The current circumstances may not be all that favorable- but he did enjoy the moment the two of them were sharing right now.
Still frozen, he turned his head over his shoulder to look at her with downcast eyes, "That towel is a bit like a trophy or uh, tribute," The flickering lights deepened the already dark shadows underneath his tired eyes and he smiled, "I performed a little magic show for them. They know I have it, at least." Lucy tilted her head as they continued onward and Lincoln simply chuckled and pulled on the arms of his jacket, "Nothing up my sleeves!"
Lucy gave a silent sigh. Lincoln was acting like a mysterious dork in order to humor her, she supposed that was nice of him but she isn't the grade schooler she was 2 to 3 months back.
Her eyes focused on the back of the jacket he was wearing. The family's Royal Woods Middle School Letterman Jacket. Embroidered underneath their last name was a quote, "Follow me, or get out of my way." One of Lori's favorites that she loves to misquote to this once indigo jacket now sun-faded to cerulean. The sleeves were so full with different patches recognizing achievements from every sport and club imaginable that Lucy could barely make out the yellow leather underneath them.
The jacket reeked of destiny. And of mildew and hormone sweat, gross. Lucy crinkled her nose and let her eyes wander.
The two of them passed by Ms. Salter's classroom and the muffled sounds of laughter seeped through the door. Her friends, the old guard of the now defunct RWES Morticians Club, all lucked out and shared the same homeroom teacher. Apparently Ms. Salter knows the lead writers of VoM, as told to her in rushed mirthful talks by her friends during lunch. She can't find it within herself to be jealous and is happy for the 5 of them. Deep inside she feels like she'd ruin their good fun with her dour mood and doesn't mind at all being an outside observer.
Lincoln stopped for a moment and took a quick peek into the window and chuckled, "Ha!" Lucy continued walking and it was Lincoln's turn to follow her into the main hall, "Now that's funny. Back in 6th I was separated from my friends, too. Had to do my time with Bolhofner…" His voice died a bit as he passed Lucy to walk point in front of her, "Part of me thinks it was for the best- I probably would've Caused Problems, get Salter on the gang's case in my behalf. She's a nice enough lady, doesn't really deserve me as a student…"
"Some say that everything happens for a reason," Lucy said as her voice reverberated in the empty main hall of the building, "But I think, in both our cases, that it is and was just purely happenstance." She looked up at the skylights at the ceiling, the pouring rain battered down on the plexiglass and flashes of light cast odd shadows in the hall, "Even any Similarities of Circumstance that one could find to tie together our stories: Coincidental. Everything happens for no reason."
Lincoln paused in front of the C-Hall's east wing and looked in, "Ha. I think I find that even more depressing." Again he took note at the odd security cameras and scratched his head before continuing down the hallway, "But what's done is done, and what's coming next is done too. The ride doesn't stop spinning, even if you gotta barf." He shook his head when they came to a trophy display, he pointed up at an item encased in greasy finger-print covered glass, "Look, our legacy." He deadpanned with a sigh.
At first she didn't see anything of note, but a flash of light illumated her reflection in the glass. Her clothes were soaked to the bone. The neat black button-down blouse that was once tucked into her black pleated skirt now slipped-loose at the waistband and hung asymmetrically at her hips. Her black and white socks were saturated with rain and mud and gathered at her ankles. The black monk-buckled pointed shoes she had on were absolutely filthy with mud. She took a moment to fix herself in the mirror. After all, she did go through all that effort to pick out a new outfit for her middle school debut and traded in her signature black dress for a more mature black shirt and skirt arrangement. It was very brave of her.
"No, not you, Lucy, I wasn't being symbolic or somethi-" Lincoln sighed and tapped his greasy finger on the glass, "Here, they have a whole section just for the Loud family."
Arranged in a row were portraits at eye-level that had blown up photos of each of her older siblings wearing the same Letterman Jacket. On the left was a acne-ridden Lori and on the far right was Lincoln. Underneath each portrait was a selection of trophies and photos detailing their exploits. "Ah, this is kind of… stupid. And embarrassing."
"Yeah." Lincoln nodded in agreement, "But it kinda makes sense- they have a section for Hunnicutt's, Pringrey's, St. Claire's, and Wood's. All of the-"
"All of them the founding families of Royal Woods." Lucy scoffed and shook her head, "Ha. Still kind of lame though, but I suppose in context it makes more sense." The flickering lights gave the main hall a dungeon-like ambiance, the school saves money by relying on the skylights for illumination during the day. In the darkness Lucy could make out a portrait of his father in a chef's hat, her grandfather Leonard holding up a peace sign and a clipboard, and her great-grandmother Harriet posing with a stack of books, there were even older photos and portraits but she couldn't see that high up. "I am taller than Great-Grandma Harriet was when she was my age." Lucy nodded to herself.
"Yeah, and you read more books than that in one sitting." Lincoln chuckled as he continued walking, his footsteps were somehow louder than the thunder that threatened to shake the school off of its foundation, "I bet if Harriet were alive today she'd be proud- or at least jealous. I know I am. My grades slipped a little last year…"
"I doubt they give trophies out for reading books." Lucy said, she felt her nerves getting to her as they inched towards the main office- not out of fear but anticipation, "So I doubt any chance of my portrait gracing the halls."
"Ha." Lincoln let out a single chuckle and let the echo bounce off the walls and die before continuing, "They give a trophy for everything. I'm not complaining either- trophies look good on a transcript. It's a tough world out there, but I think you know that better than me. Just promise me that if you can find an angle: take it. You need to use everything at your disposal to get ahead."
"Ahead of what?" Lucy asked.
Lincoln stopped in his tracks and laughed for a while in front of the school entrance bathrooms. He let his laughter die down and tried to smile but failed, "I don't really know." His voice sounded as tired as he looked for the first time in their conversation, he quickly cleared his throat before continuing, "But if you find out: let me know." He held up a finger in the air to signify that he needed a second, Lucy nodded and he disappeared into the boys bathroom behind him with a pirouette.
They were now in front of the school's cafeteria, it too was dark save for the flashes of lightning and the hazy red lights of fire alarm switches. Lucy walked toward the large window for a closer look. The cafeteria was designed with 3 tiers of descending height with a raised stage area at the right. The long rectangular lunch tables were folded up and stood silently like obelisks of grey plastic. Above were large industrial sized fans that cast epileptic shadows downwards as the skylights lit up from the storm. Her eyes darted to movement on the stage and she saw 5 shadows in the far corner. One of them waved at her, and in a flash she saw a familiar mop of bowl-shaped red hair. She waved back at Liam, the other figures proceeded to lambast Liam for blowing their cover before he explained himself. The 5 shadowed figures gave a final wave before slipping behind the black curtain into the stage.
"Ah, here is Lincoln's little sacrificial lamb," A condescending voice called out, Lucy turned around and was greeted by the sight of a gangly red-haired 8th-grader wearing a Hall Monitors sash, Lincoln appeared behind him- Lucy noted the missing sash, and elbowed him in the stomach, "Oof, sorry, Lame-O, I mean sacrificial black shee-" another elbow came from Lincoln and the figure almost collapsed, "Okay, okay, I'll stop." He approached Lucy and she simply tilted her head, "Listen closely," The 8th grader stooped down and planted his hands on his knees to meet Lucy at eye-level, "This world is give and take." Lincoln rolled his eyes and scribbled into a journal labeled LOLA: DO NOT TOUCH and another figure emerged from the girls restroom, "And- spoiler alert: Lincoln only takes. Don't learn the hard way, like me."
"Don't listen to Chandler," A mousy voice whispered, the girl had round coke-bottle lens glasses and messy red hair, her lips curled in a soft smile, "That guys a jerk. Not like your big brother." Chandler scoffed and silently entered the cafeteria doors, "Lincoln is one of the good guys. He can just sometimes come off as a little weird, be patient with him…" Lucy nodded as the girl retreated into the dark cafeteria.
Lincoln awkwardly coughed, his ego shaken, "I- I'm not that weird, rig-"
"What are you planning, Lincoln Loud?" Lucy spat, she coldly approached her brother.
Lincoln shook his head and spoke softly after closing his journal, "I'm not planning anything, things just kind of fell int-"
"I am not going to be some pawn for one of your stupid plans, Lincoln. Explain." This wouldn't be the first time Lincoln has used opportunity and roped Lucy into one of his schemes. She inwardly sighed knowing full well it wasn't the last, but it didn't sit well that Lincoln was keeping secrets from her.
Lincoln whispered, his voice strained, "You aren't some pawn to me or anyone else. You're a Loud. You are a playe-"
"Can you cease being byronic for one moment and just let me know what it is you want me to do? I expect this kind of behavior from you- strong-arming me when I'm in a corner." Lucy shook her head, "But what catches me off gaurd is you not trusting me enough to tell me the reasons why."
"I'm sorry," Lincoln croaked out, "Things just happened fast. All I need you to do is join the Buddy Group. I need your help. Please, Lucy. I don't know if I can do this alone anymore…"
Lucy frowned as she saw the elder brother she's been staring at the back of her whole life almost break in front of her. The once resolute posture of his deflated, the lopsided grin grimaced into a frown, the sly glint of his eyes gone and replaced with a stare that knew no kindness. She noticed in the flickering lights that his polo was inside out. He was giving the water fountain a death grip and Lucy realized that he was barely holding himself up, the sheer intensity of sleep deprivation he was going through was possibly killing him.
Lucy gave Lincoln a quick hug, "You aren't alone anymore. I'll support you no matter what, but I still would like to know why this is so important to you."
Lincoln knew that Lucy wasn't one for physical affection, at this point neither was Lincoln. But he appreciated it and calmed his breathing before continuing, "It's Jordan."
Lucy raised and eyebrow, "Your ex-girlfriend? Is this some kind of lovers-spat or something? How do I fit into this?"
Lincoln let out a single coarse laugh, "I don't think me or her know what love even is, but whatever it is… this isn't about that." Lincoln found the strength to meet Lucy's eyes, "Jordan has appointed a 6th grade representative for the Buddy Group, a toadie in her pocket. When we both organized it we agreed to dissolve the program once we graduated, she wants to keep it up." Lincoln sighed and hung his head down, "The Buddy Group was never about helping people. It was about blackmail. The Buddy Group has information only available to guidance counselors and principals. On face value The Buddy Group is supposed to help kids with Complications. But really it's to get dirt on anyone who would've stood in her-" Lincoln stopped himself and took a deep breath, "In our way."
He slowly released his grip before leading the way to the main office, "We were going to change this school, for the better. But… it didn't work out the way she wanted…" Lincoln let loose a bitter laugh as Lucy followed, "To me, I knew what we were trying to do was wrong. Or at least our methods. So I just threw that plan-" Lincoln spat out the P-word with self-loathing hatred, "In the garbage. But Jordan went ahead and got the ball rolling."
The two of them were at the doors now, Lincoln placed his hands on the door but didn't push it open, "What does student council do anyways, and what does Jordan do that is so… bad?"
"It's not about what Jordan does," Lincoln stared into his reflection on the glass door, "It's about what she doesn't do." Lincoln turned around and faced his sister, "As for student council, without them this place would have burnt down by now- maybe for the better. Fundraisers, raising student and parent awareness to issues, reaching out and actually helping out students? That's what student council does."
Lucy tilted her head in confusion, "Aren't all those things what the teachers and staff are supposed to deal with?"
Lincoln let out a wheezing laugh, "No." His smile turned into a deep frown, "They just look at us as things to place in seats. They don't care if the textbooks are out of date, if the roof is leaking, if the teachers are negligent, if the toilets don't flush, or any complaint that would require them to expend any kind of effort. The only thing they care about is attendance and test scores. The student population and test averages are what determines how much this school gets priority funding in this school district. And if you don't get good grades there is a very high chance you'll find yourself sequestered away from the other students or thrown to a OC Facility."
"Ah yes, I forgot about the cruelty of man for a second. It will not happen again," Lucy nodded her head, "No wonder everyone is so miserable and quiet here compared to elementary school- not that I am complaining, of course. Now, how does Jordan fit into things?"
"Jordan is just like them. She likes to do things by the books." Lincoln explained and rubbed the back of his head, "Honestly I still like her, she's never not going to have a special place in my… circle of people I hold close to me. But she is very particular about rules." Lincoln sighed and continued, "She also does not have a compassionate bone in her body." Lincoln met Lucy's eyes and spoke slowly, "I have a classmate, Richie.
"He's very allergic to mold and mildew. He complained to me once that the soft drink fountains irritate his allergies a lot. I brought it up to Jordan and she told me that the chemicals I wanted to use weren't approved by the school board. Apparently they use some environmentally friendly brand that Jordan likes because of her predilection towards the environment- not that I have anything against that, just providing context for why she was so passionate for using only those chemicals that weren't as effective. So I sat on my hands. And then one day during lunch," Lincoln took a deep breath and his eyes misted, "I saw Richie's throat close up." Lincoln placed his hands on Lucy's shoulders, "And I saw Jordan point and laugh at him while he convulsed on the floor. He almost died."
"They say suffocation is a very horrible way to go," Lucy took a breath, "As most ways of dying are. I am sorry you had to go through that, was Richie okay?"
"Yeah," Lincoln let go of Lucy and cleared his throat, "Jordan can not be in charge anymore. Not after that. By putting you in the system first and not waiting for student elections we severely hamstring her hegemony." Lincoln turned around and opened the office doors and Lucy followed him in.
"Thank you for explaining yourself, Lincoln." Lucy pat her brother's back, "Care not to leave me in the dark again or I will be upset. Now, I have a meeting with the Principal. I will see you later, I presume?" Lucy didn't know if Lincoln was coming with her or not.
"This is far as I go." Lincoln nodded and gave Lucy a quick hug, "And thank you, Lucy. I really do mean that. And… I am sorry for acting like some kind of jerk and not letting you know up front what was going on. But in my defense there wasn't any time. Also- you are running incredibly late. Probably not the best first impression with Ramirez, but whatever." The Magician laughed, "It's your funeral."
"Hm, quite." The Fool smiled as she passed the empty desks in the dimly lit office, "I suppose it is lucky that I quite enjoy funerals."
She heard him chuckle as she silently slipped into Principal Ramirez's office after knocking 8 times.
"In the days of golden days,
When everybody knew what they wanted:
It ain't here today.
Through the times of lasting love,
When parents talked of things tried and tested:
It don't feel the same.
Dreams and belief have gone,
Time, life itself goes on."
Half Day Closing by Portishead